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My solution
No one is going to ask me to take Finchem's job as commissioner, and I wouldn't want it. But if I were in his seat, here are the changes I would implement.
First, ditch the points system. The top 25 players on the FedEx Cup points list and the PGA Tour's money list were identical in 2007; the points just muddy the waters. Everyone understands the money list and its implications for those who are trying to remain exempt on Tour.
Next, reduce the field for the first round to the top 125 players on the money list. Greensboro would be the last tournament to determine which 125 players will be exempt the following year. The exempt players would then compete in a no-cut tournament, with the top 60 players advancing to the next round. Ideally, this could be done at a 36-hole facility like Westchester or Firestone.
If Woods, Mickelson, Singh or another top player has a bad week, he's out. Hey, that's what a playoff system is all about! Who ever heard of regular season records carrying over into playoffs? If so, my Red Sox would start the first round of the playoffs a game up in all of their best-of-seven series, but that's not going to happen.
The following week, the top 60 players would compete in another no-cut event, with the low 32 advancing to the Tour Championship. Here's the kicker: I would love to see the Tour Championship be a double-elimination match-play event. Seeds would be based on the players' standings on the money list, so the player who earned the most cash would start out by playing the guy who earned the least, and so on. The player who wins is crowned the FedEx Cup champion.
This system would make it impossible for players to skip an event. It's simple to understand and would create a lot of drama. Think about the office pools, and the fun fans would have with the head-to-head matchups between the stars.
While all this was happening, I would have the Nationwide Tour's season end and the PGA Tour's Qualifying School begin, with a major adjustment: everyone should have to play in all three stages. As it stands now, many Tour veterans only have to play in the final stage of Q School, but I think they should have to compete against the up-and-comers at every stage. That would give the young guys a better chance to make the Tour.
After a two-week break on both Tours, during which time the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup would be played, I'd like to see the next season begin. The European Tour is already doing this, and the early start allows lesser-known players to get a leg up on the stars. Right now, there is absolutely no incentive for the stars to play in the fall, but if the next season stated in autumn, they might have a reason.
My two cents
The Tour needs to do away with the bogus, computer-generated pairings. I find it unbelievable that "random" tee times never randomly put Mickelson and Woods together on Thursday and Friday. The Tour claims that these tee times maintain the integrity of the competition, but does that mean the pairings in the playoffs don't have integrity? The highest world-ranked players in each tournament should play together every week. This will give people a reason to seek out The Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday.
The LPGA requires its players to compete in every tournament at least once in a four-year period. I think a similar rule should apply to PGA Tour players, except I would make it at least once in the course of each TV contract (which right now is six years). This would bring the stars to the smaller-market events and would make it easier for tournament owners to line up sponsors.
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